Texas Department of Insurance

TDI Web Development Guidelines

Continuing Goals

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date information.
• Recognize that information created by a government agency is largely considered to be in the public domain.
• Correctly attribute all information on the site.
• Observe all copyright laws.
• Maintain public confidence in the Web site.
• Define Web page visits (hits) in a conservative manner.
• Follow correct HTML format at all times, quickly correcting any coding found to be incorrect.
• Avoid the use of frames.
• Increase download speed.
• Improve navigation of our growing site.
• Provide a consistent visual appearance.
• Maintain a search capability on every page.
• Show users their current location in the Web site structure.
• Show users other navigational options at any given level of the Web site hierarchy.
• Keep the user's needs in mind and strive for simplicity.

Designing Accessible Pages

Design

• Include a document type declaration (DOCTYPE) on each page.
• Follow current XHTML 1.0 standards, and use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS 2.1), while maintaining some accessibility to older browsers.
• Maintain a standard Web site page layout and navigation scheme.
• Use consistent headings, lists and other page structure.
• Avoid the use of frames.
• Avoid unnecessary icons, graphics and photographs.
• Design Web pages so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color.
• Organize Web pages so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet.
• Use proper HTML tags and provide other directions and cues to help those with disabilities correctly complete and submit online forms.
• Use plain backgrounds; keep layouts simple.
• Make sure text color and background color provide sufficient contrast for easy reading.
• Include a text-only index and site map.
• Provide textual navigation aids.
• Avoid abbreviations of words and dates.
• Avoid dynamic content or provide an alternative for those unable to view it.
• Do not use moving elements or designs that cause screen flicker.
• Test pages with a variety of Web browsers and technologies, including older browsers and software used by the disabled. (Include views of pages via  http://browsershots.org.)
• Avoid HTML tags or extensions supported by only one browser.
• Check Web pages and images at various monitor resolutions, monitor sizes and color depth settings.
• Include file size and type with descriptions of downloadable files.
• Always allow users to skip repetitive navigation links.
• Use various accessibility checklists and guidelines to increase accessibility of pages.

Text

• End all sentences, headers and list items with a period or other suitable punctuation.
• If possible, avoid side-by-side presentation of text in columns or tables.
• As an alternative to forms, consider using a list of information that can be submitted via a mailto link or e-mail form.
• Provide access to text-only versions of pages that are always updated whenever the primary page changes.
• Minimize the number of hyperlinks in a single line of text, with one hyperlink the best. Vertical lists are a good way to handle links.
• Avoid using text in the form of bitmap images, unless a text version is provided as an alternative.
• Use table summary to provide extra details to text readers and Identify row and column headers for data tables.
• Use special markup to associate data cells and header cells in data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers.
• With lists, begin a description that identifies the items and their number. That gives users a better idea of what is coming and the length. Using numbers instead of bullets also helps someone remember items of interest.
• Use hypertext links that make sense when read out of context. Don't use short hand, such as "click here." Use the following kinds of link text: "Follow this link to our News Page." (Screen readers can search specifically for linked text. As a result, "click here" links provide no indication of where the link will take them.) If documents are provided in a specialized format, such as PDF (Portable Document Format), provide a link to equivalent material in plain text or HTML format.

Graphics

• Minimize the number of colors in images.
• Minimize file size and number of images on a page.
• Keep background images at the lowest color depth and resolution possible.
• Make sure text is clear and readable against any graphic background.
• Limit use of image maps. Provide alternate text links if an image map is used.
• Use the "ALT" attribute in IMG tags to provide meaningful text for all graphics.
• Use a linked document or the IMG tag's long description attribute if a detailed description of an image is needed.
• If an image is used as a bullet, put an " o " in the "ALT" attribute. Do not describe the bullet.

Audio/Video

• If possible, avoid audio or video material that does not include text transcriptions (captions), descriptions or other written explanations of critical information.
• Include file format and file size in kilobytes with each description of an audio or video file.

Scripts, Applets and Plug-ins

• Provide an alternative if dynamic content is inaccessible or unsupported or eliminate the need for it.
• Consult Access Adobe resources for the latest methods in making Adobe PDF files accessible.

Key Accessibility and Usability Features

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